A hybrid power drive system for an aircraft comprises a rotor that receives power and a first power drive sub-system including at least one engine in connection with the rotor is configured to provide a first power to the rotor. Further, the hybrid power drive system also includes a second power drive sub-system connected in parallel to the first power drive sub-system. The second power drive sub-system is configured to provide a second power to the rotor a second power drive sub-system connected in parallel to the first power drive sub-system and configured to provide a second power to the rotor when the first power provided by the first power drive sub-system is less than a power demand of the rotor.

A vertical take-off and landing aircraft using a hybrid electric propulsion system includes an engine, a generator that produces electric power using power supplied by the engine, and a battery that stores the produced electric power. A motor receives the electric power stored in the battery and electric power produced by the generator but not stored in the battery and provides the power to a thrust generating apparatus. A controller selects either silence mode or normal mode, and determines the amount of electric power stored in the battery and the amount of electric power not stored in the battery from the electric power supplied to the motor. In the silence mode, the controller supplies only the electric power stored in the battery and controls a duration by adjusting output power of motor. In the normal mode, the controller supplies electric power not stored in the battery.

A drive system for a helicopter includes a main drive for driving a rotor the helicopter, a flywheel mass battery including at least one flywheel, a first transmission coupling the flywheel mass battery with the main drive such that, during operation of the main drive, output can be transferred from the main drive to the flywheel mass battery, and a second, variable transmission connecting the flywheel mass battery to the rotor of the helicopter such that a predetermined output can be transferred to the rotor through adjustment of a transmission ratio of the variable transmission.

An electrical propulsion system for a vehicle. The electrical propulsion system includes at least one generator. The electrical propulsion system also includes at least one drive engine coupled to the at least one generator. The electrical propulsion system further includes at least one electrical device and at least one battery integrated power converter (BIC). The at least one generator and at least one of the at least one BIC and the at least one electrical device are coupled. The at least one BIC and the at least one electrical device are coupled.

An aircraft airfoil or wing or fuselage MODULE is fitted with a gas turbine engine driving a fan or propeller, in combination with a gaseous pressure accumulator, wherein said fan or propeller and said gaseous pressure accumulator both provide thrust, said fan thrust being provided from a rear of the MODULE via a drop-down thrust vectoring panel and said gaseous pressure accumulator thrust being provided from a fore of said MODULE, wherein the gaseous pressure accumulator is supplied with exhaust from said gas turbine engine and said exhaust is delivered downwardly at a variable angle, and said thrust vectoring panel is a panel with multiple minor panels which vector fan thrust at more than one angle. The gas turbine engine exhaust is delivered forwardly of said fan or propeller exhaust.

A propulsion channel for aircraft at least one first dual-fed polyphase asynchronous rotating electric machine configured to be mechanically coupled to a turbine engine. The propulsion channel further includes at least one second polyphase rotating electric machine electrically coupled to the first asynchronous rotating electric machine, and a control and storage module configured to control the first polyphase asynchronous rotating electric machine. The module is connected to the first dual-feed polyphase asynchronous rotating electric machine as well as to the at least second polyphase rotating electric machine. The at least second polyphase rotating electric machine includes a polyphase synchronous rotating electric machine with permanent magnet.

An aircraft propulsion power plant for use in an aircraft includes one or more core engines housed in an airframe of the aircraft, one or more secondary propulsion units, each of the one or more secondary propulsion units being removably attached to the airframe, and one or more power transmission means, each of the one or more power transmission means being configured to transmit mechanical power from the or each core engine to a corresponding one of the or each secondary propulsion unit when the or each secondary propulsion unit is attached to the airframe.

The invention relates to a method for providing predefined desired drive characteristics (38, 50) in an aircraft, characterized by the following steps: driving a thrust generation element of the aircraft by means of an electric motor that has actual drive characteristics (34) which include at least some of the desired drive characteristics (38, 50) but are also partly different therefrom; andhaving a control device adjust operating points of the electric motor exclusively according to the desired drive characteristics (38, 50).

UAV configurations and battery augmentation for UAV internal combustion engines, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A representative configuration includes a fuselage, first and second wings coupled to and pivotable relative to the fuselage, and a plurality of lift rotors carried by the fuselage. A representative battery augmentation arrangement includes a DC-powered motor, an electronic speed controller, and a genset subsystem coupled to the electronic speed controller. The genset subsystem can include a battery set, an alternator, and a motor-gen controller having a phase control circuit configurable to rectify multiphase AC output from the alternator to produce rectified DC feed to the DC-powered motor. The motor-gen controller is configurable to draw DC power from the battery set to produce the rectified DC feed.

Apparatus and methods for controlling yaw of a rotorcraft in the event of one or both of low airspeed and engine failure are disclosed. A yaw propulsion provides a yaw moment at low speeds. The yaw propulsion device may be an air jet or a fan. A pneumatic fan may be driven by compressed air released into a channel surrounding an outer portion of the fan. The fan may be driven by hydraulic power. Power for the yaw propulsion device and other system may be provided by a hydraulic pump and/or generator engaging the rotor. The generator may be used to charge a battery during autorotation or descending. Low speed yaw control may be provided by auxiliary rudders positioned within the stream tube of a prop. The auxiliary rudders may one or both of fold down and disengage from rudder controls when not in use.